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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28295670">When the gift brings itself, it can get misplaced</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cosmopoluce/pseuds/Cosmopoluce'>Cosmopoluce</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:41:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,860</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28295670</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cosmopoluce/pseuds/Cosmopoluce</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony wants to prank his life long friend James Rhodes with a very precious gift: himself!<br/>Sadly dorm doors all look the same, Rhodey's neighbor gets a very nice surprise.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>When the gift brings itself, it can get misplaced</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If anyone would have asked someone about Tony Stark on campus they would have said anything but that he was a boring guy.<br/>
He was always throwing parties, singing out loud in public, creating machines and planning pranks. The latter was his favourite activity.<br/>
That was why he was now fixing a cardboard box covered in stamps with a bow on the top. The box was big enough to contain a person, which was in fact Tony himself. While he was struggling to get tape off of his limbs he giggled to himself: “Rhodey is gonna love it”; with a happy huff the young man closed the box on three sides except for the bottom.<br/>
With a deep nod he admired his handywork and decided to get ready for the night.</p><p>Christmas music was already playing through the dorm room, a nice smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls could be smelt even from outside the door, on the ceiling there were garlands and lights, even a mistletoe just above the kitchen door. Rhodey hummed along to the music, getting the food ready on the table; slowly the tiny house was filled with people chatting happily and drinking beers while talking about the holidays and what people was going to do back home with their families.<br/>
“Where is Tony?”, Pepper, the third friend of their small group, asked to the host with a small frown scanning the room<br/>
“He said he has to work on some project...pretty sure he's working on another better coffee machine”<br/>
“Or he's with a girl”, the redhead commented, turning her attention to some friends entering just in that moment.<br/>
Rhodey sighed and followed Pepper to join the party.</p><p>Through the paper thin wall Steve could hear the music blasting inside the dorm flat-like room nextr to his, it must have been a kind of Christmas party, it didn't really help the growing headache he felt because of finals. He should have known people were going to be wild before vacation days, nonetheless he couldn't have gotten ahead with homework before that evening: he had a part time job at the library that occupied the majority of his time alongside his lessons.<br/>
So. Finals week and Christmas music.</p><p> </p><p>James Rhodes was called out from the current conversation he was having by the bell ringing once again.<br/>
“Maybe it's Tony!”, Pepper called out to him with red cheeks and nose from the drinks she had.<br/>
Rhodey nodded and immediately reached for the handle only to be surprised by a massive chest in front of his face "Uhu…."<br/>
Steve rubbed the back of his neck shyly and let out a small puff of air: "Hey James...I'm sorry can you...maybe turn down the music? I'm studying next door and it's finals week and I-"<br/>
The other nodded deeply and turned immediately to a dirty blond guy (Steve recognised Clint, a player on his football team)next to the stereo, gesturing at him to turn the volume down.<br/>
James smiled back to Steve and nodded: "I'm sorry Steve, have a good study night.<br/>
The taller boy returned the smile before walking back to his dorm flat. </p><p> </p><p>Around midnight the loud bell rang shaking Steve out of his concentration bubble. He stretched and slowly turned to the door: who could have been at this time?<br/>
The blond got up to open the door, in front of him there was a big Christmas box, just a few inches shorter than him, said box didn't have any names on or signs, just some stamps and a ribbon. He looked around in the big hall of the building: no one was in sight. Maybe it was some kind of equipment Sam, his flatmate, bought online for his classes; considering this, Steve decided to push the huge box inside.<br/>
It was not that heavy, still it was a nice challenge for him to bring the gift inside his dorm, he left it by the door not wanting to break something in it. After that he noticed the time: "ugh fuck", he grumbled and decided to just get ready for sleep.<br/>
While taking his hoodie off in his bedroom he heard muffled noises from the main room, Sam was already home for the holidays though…<br/>
The boy raised his fists, cursing himself for the lack of a baseball bat within reach and walked to the room: "hey! Go away!", He called out, not really believing it was a good idea. Steven watched the box as it wiggled, scared he stepped over cautiously, it seemed like it was trying to lift itself from the bottom. Rogers took a deep breath, maybe it was some kind of animal for a prank or for someone else, in one second he grabbed the box and lift it up gracelessly, making its content trip backwards.</p><p>Only that its content was a guy.<br/>
"OI WHAT THE FUCK RHODEY WERE YOU GOING NOT TO OPEN-" big brown eyes shot up to meet blue wide, scared eyes staring at him. Him. Who was dressed in a skimpy elf outfit and was now faced with a piece of a hunk that even in his wettest dreams he couldn't have even imagined.<br/>
"What are you doing?"<br/>
"What are you doing in a box in a dorm room!", Steve raised his voice back the other<br/>
Tony immediately caught up with the steam of the fight and stood hastily to face the blond guy: "It was a prank! Fun people make pranks! And I was supposed to be at Rhodey's dorm!"<br/>
"too bad! Rhodes's dorm room is right next door!", Steve tossed the cardboard aside next to his desk and stared at tony<br/>
"like what you see?", the latter flirted lightly while making a slow twirl showing off perfect toned legs and just a glimpse of booty. Steven blushed madly and just shook his head heavily: "N-No I'm just trying to understand what kind of prank is even this"<br/>
"I deliver myself, they open, I jump out in a skimpy outfit, they all laugh and maybe I even get someone's number!"<br/>
Steve stared at the other guy with a quizzing face: was he even serious? That didn't sound like a plan on first instance and...who would have laughed at that?<br/>
At the blond's silence Tony just huffed and looked around the dorm room: it seemed nice, clean and nicely furnished, the guy had a simple taste but he could change that. Tony's eyes landed on the desk, there was a trophy on top of it next to some chemistry books: "Uuuuuh football player?", The brunet grinned madly like he had found the holy grail.<br/>
"Oh, yes I won that in high school, now I'm quarterback"<br/>
"That's incredibly hot"<br/>
Steve just chuckled shaking his head: "that's a cliche"<br/>
The shorter boy shrugged while letting his fingertips stroke on the surface of the chemistry book: "you're handsome, a quarterback and you suck at chemistry, you're pretty much a cliché aren't you? As for me!", he bent slightly down in Steve's direction with a hand pressed to his chest, "I'm a total surprise!".<br/>
Steve was going to interrupt the other's monologue but decided to fully answer after him: "I'm- no! I don't suck at chemistry it's just really hard-"<br/>
"This nomenclature exercises are all screwed up! Let me just…"<br/>
At this point the elf in a skimpy outfit was sitting on Steve's chair scribbling away on his textbook correcting his chemistry homework like it was nothing, the quarterback got closer, standing behind him in silence.<br/>
"Here- oh. You're closer than I thought-", Anthony turned the chair around looking up at Steve's face "no problem sugar, you can call me to help you whenever you want~", he stood and patted Steve's chest appreciating every second of it.<br/>
Rogers chuckled lightly and followed the other with his eyes: "You're leaving?", And he immediately bit his tongue. What the hell Steven. You don't even know the guy and now you ask him to stay for whatever reason. The question resulted in Tony turning slowly with a magnetic grin: "If you insist...I can stay, quarterback".<br/>
Steven smiled and held his hand out: "I'm Steven Rogers". That was unexpected. Tony blinked twice and shook the hand: "I'm Anthony Stark…". The blond smiled and nodded towards the kitchen: "Beer?"<br/>
The other followed curiously until he saw Steve actually pulling out two beers from the fridge: "waitwaitwaitwait. Are you not going to fuck me over the counter now?"<br/>
Rogers turned to him with a deep frown, almost shocked: "No! I mean not- now. Not tonight"<br/>
"Why not?!"<br/>
"We barely know each other!"<br/>
"That's the whole point!"<br/>
Steven stared at him for a moment before handing him the beer with a stern look: "Not for me. If it is for you then alright...you can go".<br/>
Oh hell no. Steve apparently was a total hunk and a sweetie massive beefcake with morals?! Tony wasn't letting go that easily. "Oh no baby, you're gonna hear me rant for the whole night before I leave you alone". The other laughed heartedly and showed the way to the living room. </p><p>"...yeah exactly! And Pepper tried to convince me not to do it! But look at me now! Perfectly fine and winner of the hardest bet ever!"<br/>
The two boys were laughing drunkenly while sharing stories about high school and childhood, Steve was at his fifth beer while Tony was way ahead of him, even way more drunk.<br/>
Anthony's laughter faded slowly into a soft giggle as he lied back on the armrest of the couch yawning softly and kicking his feet against Steve's thigh: "Gimme space yo-you beefcake!" He hiccuped and laughed once more at Steve's pout. The blond sniggered and gasped even louder than his laugh: "your feet are freezing!", He gently scooped said feet and placed them on his lap to cradle and massage them lightly. Anthony just giggled more and sat up shaking his head: "NONONONO dooontt~", he hugged Steve's neck sniggering tiredly and drunkenly closing his eyes.<br/>
The taller boy smiled warmly and turned his head lightly: "Imma...Imma give ya a blanket". And he stood leaving Tony there quietly curling up on himself as he felt colder by the alcohol in his body having its effects. Steve returned and placed a soft fuzzy blanket on top of Tony and nuzzled his shoulder with a soft smirk. The brunet giggled lightly as he tangled calloused fingers through dark blond hair: "Steve…"<br/>
"Yes?"<br/>
"Thank you" the genius's smile was so soft in Steve's eyes (yes, he even found out that he was actually a genius). The moment was so sweet that Rogers could resist: he leaned close, pecking Tony's lips feather lightly, barely letting the other understand what was happening.<br/>
The brunet blinked twice and grinned: "knew you couldn't resist...even if it's 'not for you' ". At the recall of Steve's own words he scoffed and stuck his tongue out, climbing up on the couch to rest between Tony's body and the back of the couch: "fuck you"<br/>
"Oh I wish you will quarterback…".<br/>
And with that, they passed out at 5 in the morning.</p>
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